Peter, I’m about 75% on board but that last 25 of dissent is crucial. blinken et al. should be heartily welcomed to explain themselves. before international courts of law. blinken knowingly lied about so much, and has so much blood on his hands, and unless it’s in front of a jury i’m aggressively uninterested in any potential crocodile tears he learns to shed.
i also just wanna reiterate that i think you’re absolutely right about giving ordinary ppl, pundits, and public intellectuals grace for penitence. but at a certain point i see too much culpability for legal action not to be in the picture.
Amen to the importance of both sharing one was wrong as well as being gracious in receiving that admission.
Something I do wonder is how many people, Democrats especially, actually feel right now that they were wrong? There’s also the case where people stop talking about something not because they think they were wrong, but because to admit they still hold certain views has become so unpalatable that it’s no longer worth the heated arguments or social cost. Perhaps they still think Israel is justified in their destruction of Gaza, but don’t know how to say that while the IDF is flagrantly carrying out a genocide. I definitely can think of more than a few acquaintances in DC who I do not believe have become more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, but who are just more passive in their default support of Israel and wish the horrific images would go away. And others who still cannot forgive the uncommitted crowd, or who continue to see Kamala as having been a 100% flawless candidate who lost due to misogyny.)
I think this is a wonderful and constructive thought. However, I do wonder if people like Blinken and Jake Sullivan truly believed that the outcomes they were arguing for were attainable or if they were just finding taking points and rationalizations for positions their jobs made them take. In the way that the invasion of Rafah was supposedly a red line for Biden, how much of that was complex decision making and how much was just diplomatic delay so Israel could continue its onslaught. Because obviously it was not a red line at all. In other words, there’s no wrong to admit if they privately believed this was a possible or even likely outcome all along and the intent of their words was just to allow Israel to do what it wanted and avoid having to put limits on Netanyahu regardless of outcome.
Yep. I think it would be a massive stretch to suggest as Peter has done for that administration to come clean. I have watched parts of those press conferences and honestly their lies, misinformation, and evasiveness was not a question of some debate position. They were set up to distract from a reality that they had created. A reality of massive murder and death brought on with their weapons and bombs.
I think your comments are spot on, Peter. Last year, I attended Tikkun Leil Shabbat at the JCC in NYC where many interesting talks took place. For example, I heard the head of Hadassah Hospital speak about the complexity of running a hospital in Israel in war time, where the staff and patients hail from the many ethnic groups that live in Israel, Jewish and Palestinian foremost. This year, the offerings seem like they're circling the wagons...I cannot bring myself to participate in a gathering that promises to avoid the war on Gaza so completely.
I fully agree with you Peter, about the value of giving people the space and grace to admit they were wrong, publicly, and privately amongst friends and family. However, Zadie Smith didn't come out publicly to say she was wrong; she signed a letter. Big whoop.
The interesting thing about Piers Morgan is that if you caught his show, as I did through excerpts on tiktok over the past 1.5 years, you could actually see him changing his mind. It didn't happen all at once, although the enforced starvation probably pushed him over the edge.
Btw, I was not only against the Iraq invasion, I was also against the invasion of Kuwait (and went to protests against it), and was against the invasion of Afghanistan. It was so easy to see how wrong those military incursions were that I can't understand, to be honest, those liberals or centrists who backed them.
Marco Rubio announced that the Trump regime will deny visas to any foreign nationals who criticize the state Israel. THIS is fomenting anti semititism.
I understand about giving people grace, but adults should recognize that admitting you're wrong may be uncomfortable momentarily but so what? Don't be weak minded, take your ego out of it, and take whatever disappointment or "I told you so's" that people heap on you. You're a big person to admit you're wrong and ultimately you will gain much more than you will lose. Sometimes growth is painful.
I think that it would be helpful if more of us could become better and more skillful at creating a forum in which this kind of discussion ("I was wrong and I've changed my position.") was more possible. It doesn't have to be everybody. Some of the people who are the most bitter and enraged at those late to the table are probably not able to create such a forum or conduct the discussion but may be able to benefit from hearing such a discussion.
As a tremendous example, especially for a Canadian audience, see this post by Avi Lewis about his father Stephen Lewis, a very prominent Canadian centre-left politician, one-time Canadian ambassador to the UN, and celebrated AIDS activist.
Hey America, let’s wake up and wake others up as well WE the people govern this country not the Nazis in Washington DC and certainly not the Orange Cheeto aka TACO With a unified movement we will defeat the dictator in the WH if WE come with one voice
Connect with 30,000 other Americans in 48 states who have joined the Resistance Lab movement and are forming coalitions across this country Learn how citizens in other countries defeated authoritarian parties and how WE when organized can do the same now
Join the Resistance Lab 1.0 tomorrow June 1, 11a to 1pPST Just fill out the form https://forms.gle/RXZwieKnLNkyYUox8 and the team will contact you See you tomorrow!!
How do I pose a question to you, Peter, for your next Ask Me Anything? I am a subscriber with a question.
Jeffrey Goldberg interviewed Thomas Friedman on PBS Washington Week With the Atlantic. Friedman characterized the stream of events since October 7 this way. Hamas now demands a ceasefire and withdrawal of all Israel forces – "That's what they had before October 7! –Shame on them." Peter, how do you respond to this point of view? What did Hamas hope to accomplish from the October 7 attack? What did they accomplish? What could they yet accomplish? In a related comment, both men asserted that Hamas's goal is to dismantle Israel altogether. Your response? Finally, both agreed that Israel is unfairly criticized and has always been unfairly criticized.
Peter, I’m about 75% on board but that last 25 of dissent is crucial. blinken et al. should be heartily welcomed to explain themselves. before international courts of law. blinken knowingly lied about so much, and has so much blood on his hands, and unless it’s in front of a jury i’m aggressively uninterested in any potential crocodile tears he learns to shed.
i also just wanna reiterate that i think you’re absolutely right about giving ordinary ppl, pundits, and public intellectuals grace for penitence. but at a certain point i see too much culpability for legal action not to be in the picture.
We are so grateful for your voice. Thank you for your fairness and your heart.♥️
Amen to the importance of both sharing one was wrong as well as being gracious in receiving that admission.
Something I do wonder is how many people, Democrats especially, actually feel right now that they were wrong? There’s also the case where people stop talking about something not because they think they were wrong, but because to admit they still hold certain views has become so unpalatable that it’s no longer worth the heated arguments or social cost. Perhaps they still think Israel is justified in their destruction of Gaza, but don’t know how to say that while the IDF is flagrantly carrying out a genocide. I definitely can think of more than a few acquaintances in DC who I do not believe have become more sympathetic to the Palestinian cause, but who are just more passive in their default support of Israel and wish the horrific images would go away. And others who still cannot forgive the uncommitted crowd, or who continue to see Kamala as having been a 100% flawless candidate who lost due to misogyny.)
I think this is a wonderful and constructive thought. However, I do wonder if people like Blinken and Jake Sullivan truly believed that the outcomes they were arguing for were attainable or if they were just finding taking points and rationalizations for positions their jobs made them take. In the way that the invasion of Rafah was supposedly a red line for Biden, how much of that was complex decision making and how much was just diplomatic delay so Israel could continue its onslaught. Because obviously it was not a red line at all. In other words, there’s no wrong to admit if they privately believed this was a possible or even likely outcome all along and the intent of their words was just to allow Israel to do what it wanted and avoid having to put limits on Netanyahu regardless of outcome.
Yep. I think it would be a massive stretch to suggest as Peter has done for that administration to come clean. I have watched parts of those press conferences and honestly their lies, misinformation, and evasiveness was not a question of some debate position. They were set up to distract from a reality that they had created. A reality of massive murder and death brought on with their weapons and bombs.
Sullivan, Blinken, Matthew Miller, none of those ghouls will ever admit they were wrong. In the end, Palestinian lives just don't matter to them.
Ghouls is a tough scary word, but those press conferences that are on the record for all humanity to see and reflect on, don’t lie.
I think your comments are spot on, Peter. Last year, I attended Tikkun Leil Shabbat at the JCC in NYC where many interesting talks took place. For example, I heard the head of Hadassah Hospital speak about the complexity of running a hospital in Israel in war time, where the staff and patients hail from the many ethnic groups that live in Israel, Jewish and Palestinian foremost. This year, the offerings seem like they're circling the wagons...I cannot bring myself to participate in a gathering that promises to avoid the war on Gaza so completely.
I fully agree with you Peter, about the value of giving people the space and grace to admit they were wrong, publicly, and privately amongst friends and family. However, Zadie Smith didn't come out publicly to say she was wrong; she signed a letter. Big whoop.
The interesting thing about Piers Morgan is that if you caught his show, as I did through excerpts on tiktok over the past 1.5 years, you could actually see him changing his mind. It didn't happen all at once, although the enforced starvation probably pushed him over the edge.
Btw, I was not only against the Iraq invasion, I was also against the invasion of Kuwait (and went to protests against it), and was against the invasion of Afghanistan. It was so easy to see how wrong those military incursions were that I can't understand, to be honest, those liberals or centrists who backed them.
Marco Rubio announced that the Trump regime will deny visas to any foreign nationals who criticize the state Israel. THIS is fomenting anti semititism.
"To live with lies is exhausting. To speak the truth has consequences." Each of us gets to decide what our integrity requires of us.
So well-said: Thank you. And yes, Democrats, too, need to come forward and say they were wrong.
I understand about giving people grace, but adults should recognize that admitting you're wrong may be uncomfortable momentarily but so what? Don't be weak minded, take your ego out of it, and take whatever disappointment or "I told you so's" that people heap on you. You're a big person to admit you're wrong and ultimately you will gain much more than you will lose. Sometimes growth is painful.
Atonement is for those who do good. Does not exclude those who have done bad in the past.
???????
I think that it would be helpful if more of us could become better and more skillful at creating a forum in which this kind of discussion ("I was wrong and I've changed my position.") was more possible. It doesn't have to be everybody. Some of the people who are the most bitter and enraged at those late to the table are probably not able to create such a forum or conduct the discussion but may be able to benefit from hearing such a discussion.
Thanks Peter asking the unasked questions.
As a tremendous example, especially for a Canadian audience, see this post by Avi Lewis about his father Stephen Lewis, a very prominent Canadian centre-left politician, one-time Canadian ambassador to the UN, and celebrated AIDS activist.
https://x.com/avilewis/status/1928570782848045563?s=46
That was very moving. Thanks for sharing that.
Hey America, let’s wake up and wake others up as well WE the people govern this country not the Nazis in Washington DC and certainly not the Orange Cheeto aka TACO With a unified movement we will defeat the dictator in the WH if WE come with one voice
Connect with 30,000 other Americans in 48 states who have joined the Resistance Lab movement and are forming coalitions across this country Learn how citizens in other countries defeated authoritarian parties and how WE when organized can do the same now
Join the Resistance Lab 1.0 tomorrow June 1, 11a to 1pPST Just fill out the form https://forms.gle/RXZwieKnLNkyYUox8 and the team will contact you See you tomorrow!!
How do I pose a question to you, Peter, for your next Ask Me Anything? I am a subscriber with a question.
Jeffrey Goldberg interviewed Thomas Friedman on PBS Washington Week With the Atlantic. Friedman characterized the stream of events since October 7 this way. Hamas now demands a ceasefire and withdrawal of all Israel forces – "That's what they had before October 7! –Shame on them." Peter, how do you respond to this point of view? What did Hamas hope to accomplish from the October 7 attack? What did they accomplish? What could they yet accomplish? In a related comment, both men asserted that Hamas's goal is to dismantle Israel altogether. Your response? Finally, both agreed that Israel is unfairly criticized and has always been unfairly criticized.
I disagree with their POV.What do you think?
Jamie Jackson
Picture Fonz from Happy Days. Whenever he's forced to admit he was wrong, he mumbles "I was wruh" with the last word sounding like he forced it out.